As more people are limited in how they can spend their time, many in Grand County are taking the opportunity to get outdoors and practice social distancing in the fresh air.
However, with more people on the trails and in the backcountry than usual, Headwaters Trails Alliance, Grand County’s trails and public lands nonprofit, is reminding recreators to use their best trail etiquette to maintain the areas for others and keep everyone safe.
Here are some of their top tips:
- Keep your distance. Even in the great outdoors, the coronavirus can be transmitted. Remember to give other trail users or recreators the recommended six feet of space and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.
- Another perk of spending time outdoors is that both humans and their four-legged friends can get out at once. If pets join the fun, be sure to pick up after them. According to the HTA, pet waste negatively impacts our local water sources and wildlife.
- Be aware of trail conditions. Some trails are soft or muddy due to the melting snow and HTA requests recreators not use trails that aren’t packed or dry. If a recreator begins to post-hole on a snowy trail or leave footprints in the mud, the best thing to do is find another trail. This is because post-holes create a potentially dangerous trail surface for all trail users, HTA says. The trails organization added that using muddy trails creates lots of damage that is difficult and labor-intensive to remedy. At the warmer times of day, hikers are encouraged to walk on roads instead to preserve our trail surface.
- Wherever you are recreating, carry a trash bag with you. Continue to practice the pack in/pack out method and don’t leave trash on public lands.